What do YOU need to do to lose weight?

[bibbitybobbityhat]

I have been thinking about this a lot lately.

Most weight loss advice I see says something along these lines: "cut out cakes, biscuits, sweets, crisps, fried foods, snacks between meals" and so on.

I very rarely eat those things, not even snacks really, yet I am still fat.

I think with general diet advice there is too much that is vague and, actually, it would help overweight people to really search their souls, be brutally honest with themselves, and face up to what they are doing wrong with their diet.

I am interested in the different things that make people fat.

So, this is what I need to do to lose weight:

1. Halve the amount of wine I drink.
2. Halve the amount of bread I eat.
3. Eat smaller portions at dinner.
4. Eat dinner earlier in the evening.
5. Actually do as much exercise as I tell everyone I do.

Anyone else?

eat more. That sounds stupid but i miss meals a lot and so end up snacking on things that are ridiculously bad for me.

I need to excercise more. it is difficult because i have a bad bad and just standing/walking is painfull after a while. however this is made far worse by my weight.

bit of a viscious circle

Cut out all snacks. With me, hunger begets hunger, so even eating fruit between meals isbad for me, because it keeps me in an 'eating cycle'.

I lose weight if I stick to three sensible, normal meals per day and get off arse a bit - e.g. go for a swim, walk more. I can lose half a stone no problem if I abide by these rules for a few weeks.

For me, I had to hit rock bottom before I started to lose weight. It is all very well knowing what you have to do (cut carbs/fat/snacks/exercise more) but until you have got to the point where you can't stand it any more, knowing this stuff is not going to be motivation enough to do something about it. Unfortunately, we all have different triggers and some of us are more tolerance for fat that others - sadly I was very tolerant of my size and managed to get 7 stone overweight.

I hit my rock bottom in February and I have done the Alternate Day diet which is good as it breaks the bad habits without you feeling deprived. So far I have lost 2 stone.

I need to start exercising more if I am to continue to lose though as the loss has slowed up recently. That and sleep more. I am a night owl which is not good if you still have to get up for the school run or work in the morning and it leaves me seriously sleep deprived. Sleep has a bad effect on weight if you don't get enough because it messes with your hormones. Probably part of the reason some of us get larger after having children - they do mess with your sleep don't they?

I'm not joining a club as I don't have the money. was just looking at that food focus thing. is it really good then?

do you have to weigh stuff to be exact about calories?

I did the quick assessment and it reckons if I cut 500cal a day I could lose 5st in about 16 months

I do WeightWatchers on my own - bought the introductory pack from eBay a couple of years ago.

My tip would be to write down everything that you eat, and I mean every thing that passes your lips...I'm currently doing this on Food Focus, but have previously done this in a notebook.
It is amazing how the odd nibble here and there adds up to several hundred extra calories a day even though you think that you are being good.
I also think that this generally gives people an honest answer as to why they put on weight.

I was writing it down a few weeks ago until I got tonsillitis (was puking up so lost appetite anyway). may try writing it down again, it did seem to reduce what I ate.

Try a different way of eating. After years of attempting the high fibre/low fat guideleines with crap results, I have switched to a low carb diet (Neris & India/Rose Elliott) and have shifted 4.5 stone in the past 9 months. And I can still eat lovely cheese

1. Stop gorging on chocolate / sweet things
2. Stop drinking fizzy drinks
3. Stop drinking copious amounts of red bull

Ok, I'm over my drama period of this morning and got of my ever expanding arse.

Here is the good news (as if anyone cares but it feels a bit cathartic!!)

I went to the gym.
I told the 20 year old instructor how I was feeling/ my weight gain etc.
He put me through a fitness test

something like step up and down off a box for 1 min side step of 1 min rest 1 min
I did press ups (40 in a mins) sit up (54!!)
squats (72) Also lunges, throwing a medicine ball about and other bonkers things. He was really impressed and said he expected me to be wheezing half way though. I found it hard towards the end.
That programme took 30 mins. I did 30 lengths in the pool to cool down.

As I had already planned a bike ride me and mate went out this afternoon. Lots of height gain. We did 15k across the moors (in cloud I have to add) Lot's of sweat, mud and laughs!!!

DH in Tesco and asked if I wanted my usual bar of G&B butterscotch but I've declined!!

Go upahill! Couldn't pay me to eat G & B butterscotch though. Yuck!

I also think meal planning helps. I make a list of what meals we are going to eat for the next week, then make a list, go to Waitrose and buy only those things! If there is no crap in the house then I can't eat it!

Have a gastric band fitted surgically. Lost 6 stone.